Life Or Something Like It
by Necrosharpe
Summary: set at the end of season 3 begining of season 4. Bette and Angelica have escaped the court room but someone is still following them. With Tina and Bette's troubles boiling over who is there for Alice? Contains some spoliers for season 3.
1. Chapter 1

- Chapter One -

"Mummy, mummy"

The little dark girl ran into the house. Her hands were clasped tightly together as she skidded into the livening room. Bette looked up from her books, her glasses falling slightly down her nose as she sat up in the chair.

"Darling there is no need to shout, I'm only a few feet away." She said

Angelica looked up at her mother a grin fixed across her tiny face. She held up her hands and opened them a crack.

"Look what I found mummy," she said again, as she did so a small green frog dropped neatly into Bette's lap. Bette grimaced for a second but then scooped up the awol amphibian and placed back into Angelica's outstretched hands.

"Baby, why don't you put…what are calling him?"

Angelica pouted, "It's not a boy mummy it's a girl I'm going to call her Tina,"

Bette went white. She stared hard at her daughter for a moment, her hands clenched hard against the arms of the chair. However she regained her composure.

"Baby, I think its best you put her outside, frogs don't like the heat of houses." She glanced up at the clock on the mantle piece, its hands showed it was 6.30. "Hurry up, it will be bed time for you soon young lady."

She watched Angelica trot off back into the garden and busy herself near the pond. That was three times this week that Angelica had mentioned Tina. She had tried hard not to think about her but in recent weeks. Bette had found her mind wandering lately. Last week when she had been cleaning Angelica's bedroom she had stumbled upon the photograph. It had been under Angelica's pillow and there grinning back at her had been a nightmare. She remembered it as clearly as if it was yesterday. It had been after Dana's funeral and she had come back to the house to find Tina there with Angelica ready to go out. Henry had been there to, she was sure just to taunt her and the little boy Mikey? They had been going to the aquarium hadn't they? And that's when Mikey had asked to take the photo a "family photo". After that she had felt so cold, but just replaced the photo and gone to make some coffee. But what was it she really wanted, to remove her child's other mother from her life completely? To instil in Angelica the same hatred and fear that she herself was feeling and send Tina into the nexus. Just a hazy memory of a forgotten past. Bette shook her head. She was so confused and full of regrets. It was bad enough that Joyce Wishner had nearly ruined her life once, now she had managed to do it again. She wanted to scream, but instead stood up from her chair and walked over to the window. Outside Angelica was playing happily in the mud and making patterns with the rocks. A wave of anger suddenly swept over her. No one was going to take her baby away, no matter how many times they tried or had to move she would do whatever was necessary, they would be together forever. She flopped back into the chair and closed her eyes.

"Mummy!"

Bette awoke with a start, she glanced at the clock and saw she had slept for about a hour. Angelica grabbed Bette and clung tightly to her leg. Bette bent down and kissed Angelica's head.

"What is it sweetheart? You haven't hurt yourself have you?"

"that man is back, he saw me. I don't like him he's scary," Bette looked concerned

"What man dear, I didn't see anyone in the garden."

"He's gone now but I don't like him he watched me but he never wants to play."

Bette stood up and walked over to the window. Outside she could see the trees moving softly in breeze. The garden was enclosed on either side by a high hedge and the back fence was bordered by a series of trees. She peered intently but could not see anyone one. Walking back to Angelica she clasped her tight to her. She sat down and placed Angelica on her knee.

"Baby, its ok. I would never let anyone hurt you. You know I love you so much and I will always make sure you are safe."

Angelica looked back at her, chewing slowly on her thumb.

"But," Bette added "I need you to promise me something, I want you to promise you will never talk to strangers and if you see this man again you tell me ok?"

"Ok," Angelica said softly lying her head against Bette's chest and closing her eyes.

"Come on lets get you to bed," Bette whispered, carrying Angelica she made her way to the bedroom and tucked her into the warm bed. She moved towards the door but then something struck her and she turned.

"Angelica sweetheart, have you seen this man before?"

"Yes, he sometimes watches us in the park when I'm on the swings." Angelica breathed dopily. Bette frowned but bent forwards and kissed Angelica's head. She walked into the other room where her book still lay across the arm of the chair. She went to sit down but then rose and locked the front door and pulled down the blind. A strange feeling of unease passed over her. She looked up at the mantelpiece but her photo of Angelica no longer smiled at her but stared down with a terrifying grin.


	2. Chapter 2

- Chapter Two -

At the planet Alice and Jenny sat sipping their coffees together. The silence by now had becoming over bearing.

"Oh I can't stand it anymore." Alice exploded, "It's too quiet."

Jenny giggled over her cup, "I know, all this noise from other people, it just doesn't seem right does it?

Alice raised an eyebrow to her, "Is that real coffee?" she asked enquiringly,

"yeah" Jenny replied,

"I thought that now you were a professional writer you were a strictly decaff girl?"

Jenny laughed, "I know but at the moment my writers block is at a killer. I just fancied a change of scene, sit in the Planet, and drug myself up a bit. You never know when inspiration may bite."

She stopped. The pair of them looked towards the door where Tina had just walked in, Henry a little way behind her. Tina was almost unrecognisable; her hair was lank and unkempt whilst the poor covering of makeup did little to hide the blotchy rings around her eyes. She stopped and made as if she was coming over to the table, butafter glancing around the cafeturned and left Henry following close behind.

At this point before Alice and Jenny could say anything Kit sat down beside them.

"Was that Tina?" she asked,

"Yeah, she looks pretty rough." Alice said hitting the nail on the head as usual. Kit pulled a face but said nothing. Alice looked over at her sharply,

"Hey Kit if you know where Bette is you should tell us, we're all still her friends."

"Hey," Kit looked shocked. "If knew where she was hiding out I would have been there like a shot sister."

"This is sooo fucked up." Alice said and looked at her feet. Kit looked across at her,

"You're telling me. My baby sis' has run off with my niece and not said a word to anyone. Me and Angus have been frantic with worry. I was almost on the verge of ringing that non-good Billie Blackie to come back and manage herefor a bit while I look for her." Then she smiled. "Almost."

At this point Jenny looked up. "Hey, yeah how are things with you guys, you and Angus look so sweet together." Kit grinned,

"I know he's an angel, he has been so worried about Bette and Angelica. But he's really working hard at the moment….trying to um…get the money together to put his CD out."

Jenny looked at her for a moment and Kit blushed but before she could say anything Alice interjected.

"I mean it, this is so fucked up!" Alice repeated, "Tina must be screwing,"

"I bet she is," Kit added, Jenny winced. "Look I'm as fond of Tina as all of you guys but Bette is my little sister and I know how heartbroken she was when she let Tina down. She worked so hard to get her back and now Tina wants to take her baby away because she decided she's not so lez anymore."

Alice stood up, "I know," she began grabbing her things. "It's all crazy I mean Shane's gone, Carmen is back with her parents, Max going in for his op soon. Its like the whole world has been turned upside down!"

She grabbed her coat as Jenny gave her arm a little squeeze.

"Look, you look after yourself ok," Jenny said. Alice smiled and left the café.

As Alice walked off down the road Kit and Jenny watched her for a moment.

"We need to keep and eye on her Kit," Jenny said musingly

"Yeah, she's suffering that one. I think Dana is still playing on her mind."

"Yeah I know, now Bette's gone I guess she feels that she really has no one. It's almost like everyone she cares about is leaving."

Kit looked away. A small tear rolled down her cheek but she hurriedly brushed it away. "I'm not going to be like this, I promised myself I was going to get my life back on track. I'm sure that Bette is ok. Wherever she is."

Jenny looked back at her but said nothing. Her mind was floating over all the recent events. At the moment life was so fractured, it was as if she was looking into a mirror, a mirror that suddenly smashed and the glass hit the floor in a million shards. Those sharp shards just lying there, tempting, taunting her. As she bent forwards, ready to fall into the abyss.

Back at her flat Alice let herself in, she pushed hard at the door to force it over the built up mail on the step. She didn't care though. She picked up a picked up a motley looking envelope off the top and placed it on the coffee table but she didn't open it. Dumping her bag on the floor she flopped onto the sofa and closed her eyes. Across the room her shrine remained although with only one photo. The picture was Dana but a young Dana maybe 26 sitting happily on bench at the tennis club. On either side sat Alice and Shane. Shane was kissing the side of Dana's face and although she was grinning the picture could not lie and Dana's eyes looked suitably mortified at the prospect of being "outed" in public. The colour had started to fade from the photo however. It was pinned there a spectral reminder to the friend she lost. Beneath a lone candle continued to burn. Alice thought back to that day in the camp. It was so far away just a distant memory that was already becoming hazy. It was just so wrong. Alice grabbed her arm and ran her nails down it, pushing hard watching the red lines explode along her arm.

"Dana…"she whispered. A ringing bought her back to the present. Alice grabbed the phone just before it could click onto answer machine.

"Hello?" said Alice cautiously,

"Al, its Tina hey can I come round I…well I need to talk to you."

"Yeah sure I'll see you soon."

As she hung up the phone Alice bent over the candle, her eyes blurry. "I miss you" she said and blew out the candle.


End file.
